Now you see me... Meet Mr Pixelhead

Just five years ago, police in Middlesbrough decided to fit loudspeakers to the network of CCTV cameras around the city, so that instead of merely spying on people, they could order them about from the comfort of their own control room.

It didn’t catch on, but it might do now with the advent of advanc­ed facial recognition technology, enabling the donut mun­chers to put a name to faces and boom out their orders.

Now, though, German artist Martin Backes has created an anti-facial recognition balaclava to combat states’ apparent need to spy on everyone. The brown, pixelated, commando-style mask, though, while no doubt effective, only makes the wearer look like they’re suffering from some hideous facial disfigurement that they are too embarrassed to show.

Besides, wouldn’t it be easier and less embarrassing just to wear a Boris Johnson mask?